


December Gifts

by nicostolemybones (fatherlords)



Series: advent calendar challenge [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: 32 mini fics, December writing challenge, M/M, So I'm posting through December, all with the theme of gift giving, also the amount of fics is to round my total number to 100 fics for Solangelo before New Year, non-religious/ no mention of any specific holiday apart from new year, solangelo, thus open to interpretation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-01-30 14:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 16,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21429367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fatherlords/pseuds/nicostolemybones
Summary: December challenge, daily fics involving gift giving. I'm doing a few extra than necessary though!I do not give permission for my work to appear on any apps nor do I consent to my work being reposted anywhere. If you see my work outside of my tumblr or outside of any blogs/accounts I mention in my fics, please report/contact them or inform me. If you report them, do not report as if it were your own work.My tumblr is @nicohasahappymeal
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: advent calendar challenge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558930
Comments: 20
Kudos: 72





	1. Pipe Cleaner Ball

Nico thought it was stupid, really. He’d thought it was a great idea when he was first sat supervising the kids in the arts and crafts building, but now he found himself wishing he hadn’t bothered. He was sitting there, a kid pulling on his jacket, another kid pulling at his shoe and trying to bite it, and narrowly avoiding a pair of flying scissors from one of Will’’s little brothers, who screamed right by his ear. Nico flinched, trying his hardest not to glare at every last tiny terror in the room. He could barely focus half the time as it was, especially not right now. “MY BROTHER FANCIES YOU!” The sunspawn yelled. Nico definitely had a headache. 

“I’m aware,” he replied plainly, picking up a handful of orange yellow red and purple pipe cleaners and a styrofoam ball. 

“HE SAID HE KISSED YOU!”

“Mhm,” Nico replied, really wishing it wasn’t unethical to make ghosts out of small kids and call it an art project. 

“HE DREAMED ABOUT YOU!”

Nico choked, flushing puce and trying to control his flustered state. 

“Uh- that- that’s great,” Nico replied awkwardly, clearing his throat when his voice came out a few octaves too high. 

“WHAT ARE YOU MAKING?”

“Uh… it’s a pipe cleaner ball to fiddle with. For Will.”

“THAT’S LAME!” 

“Uh… yeah, I guess- I guess it is…” Nico sighed, contemplating giving up on his little project. But then he remembered that listening to kids wasn’t important to him. He started to wrap the pipe cleaners around the ball and tie them all together, and didn’t stop until he had a somewhat dense ball. He gripped it in his hand and tangled it around his fingers. The texture made him pull his hand back and wipe his hand on his jeans, but he knew Will would enjoy the rough texture. 

“THAT LOOKS BORING AND CRAP!”

“Yeah… it’s… a sorry attempt at being creative…” Nico sighed, leaving it on the table and heading out to meet Will with a heavy heart. 

When he found Will, he lost his breath for a second. Will was stretching his back in the sunlight, arms raised above his head and shirt exposing his toned lower back, and more importantly, his back dimples. Nico found them adorable. Will took a deep breath and spun around with his arms out and his eyes closed, the sunlight hitting his hair and his face, illuminating glowing freckles. And then he felt bad for his useless attempt at doing something nice. Will giggled, falling onto the grass and turning his head to sniff the flowers. Nico figured he’d have to draw Will like this one day, maybe in a bed of sunflowers. 

“WILL! WILL LOOK WHAT NICO MADE FOR YOU IT’S LAME!” Nico blanched, dreading the confused look as Will tried to fake happiness. The kid ran up to Will and shoved the pipe cleaner ball to him. Will ruffled his hair and the kid ran off again, leaving Will to examine the gift. He looked at it for a second, then squeezed it and started to tangle it around his fingers.

“I uh… it’s just dumb… I noticed how you fiddle with bandages and stress balls a lot, and how you like rough textures like carpets and stubble, and I just thought you uh… might find some comfort from it…”

“That’s not dumb, Nico,” Will said softly, “that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. That’s… really thoughtful.” Will beamed, taking Nico’s hand and gently kissing his cheek. Nico found himself blushing puce as skeletal butterflies resurrected and welled up in his stomach. He couldn’t help but smile slightly.


	2. Wooden Box

Will felt nervous. He’d gotten very bored in his cabin and decided to make a small wooden box. He’d gotten some pieces of wood from the Hephaestus cabin and he’d cut them down and layered them until he’d managed to make a box with no lid or base, then he cut down some wooden planks and made a base for the box, then made a simple lid in a similar way. He screwed a hinge into the soft balsa wood then added a latch and painted it back, then added a dark varnish over the top. It was cut badly, with the joints not aligning perfectly and the wood split in some areas, but he was proud nonetheless. It was handmade, and Will knew Nico would appreciate the gesture. It didn’t stop him from being nervous, though. After all, it was a badly made small box and Will wasn’t entirely sure what Nico could fit inside it. 

But still, he found himself nervously knocking on the Hades Cabin door. Nico was just drying off his hair with a towel, already wearing his pyjamas. Will blushed though, because he was still flushed a healthy pink glow from the heat of the shower, and his hair was a mess. “Hey, Will,” he greeted, gesturing for Will to come in. Nico continued to rub his hair dry whilst Will nervously sat on the edge of the bed. “I was just getting ready for the day, I woke up fifteen minutes ago.”

“Nico, it’s two in the afternoon.”

“Oh,” Nico laughed, “that’s earlier than I thought.”

“We need another talk about your sleeping habits, di Angelo.” Will huffed a laugh and glowed softly, and Nico blushed puce, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re a human bat.”

“Is there a reason you’re up in the daytime, visiting the resident vampire,” Nico joked, throwing his towel on the floor and tying his hair back. Will had to take a moment to remember how words worked, because Nico with a bun or pony tail was the hottest thing Will had ever seen in his entire life. 

“I uh- yuh!” Will blushed bright blotchy pink to the tips of his ears as he held out the box.

“Did you make this,” Nico asked, carefully taking it from him, and Will nodded, awkwardly biting his lip in anticipation. Nico broke into a small smile, placing it on his dresser. “I love it,” he said quietly, sitting besides Will on the bed and taking his hands, “I’m gonna use it to put polaroids of us in, it’s just the right size.”

“You really like it,” Will asked softly, and Nico smiled warmly, leaning forwards and gently kissing Will’s lips. 

“I do,” Nico replied plainly, kissing Will again. Will figured he’d have to buy or make things for Nico more often if his kisses were the reward for his efforts.


	3. Music Box

Nico hadn’t gone out with the intention to buy anything, he’d just wanted to wonder the streets. Yet, he found himself stood outside a shop looking through the window at an ornate box, wooden with ornate golden trimmings. He ended up inside the shop, of course, by shadow travelling, which he wasn’t inclined to tell Will about. He gently picked the box up from its window display and opened it, and it softly played summertime, a ballerina boy spinning delicately in the centre. Nico immediately thought of Will dancing in the sunlight, and immediately decided that he just had to gift the box to Will. So he checked the price tag and left the cash on the counter with the price tag and a note, and shadow travelled out. 

He was going to wait until the morning to give it to Will, but as he was walking to his cabin, he spotted Will sitting on the steps of the Apollo cabin. He looked pale and gaunt, exhausted, still wearing his scrubs. Nico sat besides him and Will jumped slightly, startled, before relaxing. His face was puffy and his eyes red- he’d been crying. A tear escaped, so Nico gently cupped his cheek and wiped it away. “Hey,” Nico said softly, “my face isn’t that bad, is it?” Will huffed a small laugh at that, burying his head in Nico’s chest. Nico still wasn’t very used to physical affection or comfort, but he immediately wrapped his arms around Will, running his hand through the thick blond tresses. “What’s wrong, sunshine,” Nico asked softly, and Will sniffled.

“I just feel like crap,” Will shrugged, and Nico kissed his temple.

“That sounds… crappy.” Will huffed another small laugh, wiping away his tears and pulling back to rest his head on Nico’s shoulder. 

“Gods, please never change,” Will said softly, sniffling again and wiping his tears away again.

“Would this maybe cheer you up,” Nico asked, presenting the music box to Will. “Open it,” Nico said gently, so Will sat up, slowly opening the box. His freckled lit up and glowed a soft amber as he heard the tune, a small smile making its way onto his face. The glow from his freckles illuminated the dancing figure just like the sun illuminated Will, and Nico knew he’d picked the right gift. 

“It’s beautiful,” Will smiled, sniffling again. He wiped at his eyes again and hugged Nico tightly. “I love you so much, Nico.”

“I love you too,” Nico said softly, holding him gently.


	4. Song

Will didn’t know how it had gotten to this point, really. He’d been writing a poem out of boredom, but the meter he used seemed to ring a gentle tune in his head. He wasn’t entirely sure when he’d found himself humming it, or when he suddenly could recite his poem. He added more to it, and slowly realised why he couldn’t get it out of his head. It was a love song, but not just any love song. He hadn’t realised he’d written it with Nico in mind. And he didn’t intend to share it, not really. Yet here he was, humming and singing it absently under his breath whilst pushing Nico’s hair away from his forehead. 

Nico had been injured, badly injured, and he had a fever from an infection. Will had spent the past three days at his bedside. Nico opened his eyes softly, slowly, like it took him a great deal of effort to wake up for a few minutes. “Will…” he muttered weakly. Will kissed his forehead, squeezing his hand and giving a sympathetic smile. 

“Hey, death boy,” Will began softly, lowering his voice when he noticed Nico wince, “how’re you feeling?”

Nico groaned his response, and Will felt his forehead. Nico winced again, and Will gave a sad smile. “Ev’th’ ‘ur’s,” Nico slurred, which Will managed to translate as ‘everything hurts’. 

“You’ve already had too much medicine, I’m afraid,” Will said gently, “and you need to eat.”

“‘M ‘oat,” Nico croaked, “‘n’ ‘eel sick…” Will translated that to mean ‘my throat, and I feel sick’. 

“I know, sweetheart,” Will soothed, “but you need to eat to get better, yeah? I made soup, it should be light on your stomach. I need you to sit up for me, okay?”

Nico groaned, lifting his head slightly, but it seemed too much of a strain as his head fell back down on the pillow. Nico whined in distress, looking to Will with eyes full of vulnerability, but more importantly, pleading with ‘I trust you and I hope you can help me’, Will carefully helped Nico to sit up- his skin seemed to be painful, because he winced and groaned. Will set him back against a wall of pillows, and Nico looked to him again, gesturing to his throat to say it was sore. Nico also seemed to have the flu, because his sinuses had flared up and sitting up seemed to shift some of the heavy mucus into his throat, making him gag violently and mucus bubble at his nose. Thankfully, he didn’t throw up, but he did gag again when blowing his nose. He huffed in exhaustion, slowly trying to move his legs. He’d been in the same position for hours. “D’you wanna try walk around a little?” Will asked softly, and Nico shook his head very slowly. “Are you ready for something to eat?” Nico huffed and looked to Will with pleading eyes. “I know it’s horrible, but you really need something, just a little bit, I won’t force you to eat more than you can handle, love.” Nico whined and whimpered, blinking slowly. 

It took Nico a while to manage half of the soup- with half a loaf of bread, to be exact, despite a lot of throat pain and gagging from the mucus in the back of his throat. “‘M tired,” Nico whimpered, and Will gently brushed through his hair with his fingers.

“Why don’t you try sleeping like this, eh? It might help you breathe a little more comfortably.” Nico whined in response, closing his eyes, and Will found himself gently singing Nico to sleep. He didn’t give it a second thought, until he realised he was singing his own song about loving Nico to Nico. And then the moment felt ten times more intimate. 

“You wrote me a song?” Nico croaked out hopefully, and Will blushed and smiled bashfully. 

“Just go to sleep, sweetheart,” Will said gently, giving Nico a soft kiss on the forehead. Nico was snoring within minutes.


	5. Badge

Nico wasn’t entirely sure why he’d found himself in a charity shop. There was almost never anything in his style or size that he liked, but he was feeling generous. He was pretty sure there wasn’t anything- until he came across a bowl full of pin badges. Most had sarcastic slogans or fandom images on, but he found himself fixating on one in the bottom, an enamel badge, a heart, with the bi flag. It wasn’t expensive, and it wasn’t new, but it instantly made him think of Will. Will would love to have that badge. He could imagine how Will would break into a grin, freckles glowing, and squeal. He’d probably tackle Nico in a hug, but Nico didn’t mind. Will’s hugs were kinda warm and he liked the skeletal butterflies he always got whenever Will was near him. Will always smelled of lemons and antiseptic and sandalwood. And sometimes he’d hiccup a light butterfly, which always melted Nico. He hoped to see that again someday. 

So Nico decided to buy the pin badge. He kept it in his pocket for the remainder of his outing, and waited until he got back to camp to give it to him. And then chickened out. So, naturally, days turned into weeks, and he’d completely forgotten that the badge was in his pocket. 

He found himself taking his next shopping trip with Will- who was a ball of chaotic energy, attracting attention left right and centre with his loud expressions of joy every time he was a dog, or his enthusiastic recital of medical facts whenever he saw a book or model. He ended up carrying about three large cuddly dog plushies- Will, of course, had exactly zero intention of carrying his own stuff, so naturally, Nico was walking around barely able to see over the head of the middle one. He was craning his neck awkwardly and almost walking into lamposts, but Will was grinning and glowing, and Nico figured it would be worth the sore arms in the morning. And that, of course, is when Will ran out of money, right as he found a cerberus plushie that he insisted he needed to cuddle with to remind him of Nico, and he needed a few extra dollars. Nico had some change in his pocket, so he told Will to take the money from his pocket- after all, Nico could hardly reach his pockets whilst carrying the money.

And that’s when Will found the pin badge. Unfortunately though, it pricked his finger and Will jolted at the sudden pain, quite painfully accidentally punching Nico in the balls. 

Nico made an inhuman squeaking groan, lowering himself to the floor so he could roll around like a soccer player.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay? Are you hurt,”Will fussed.

“No, I’m clearly not hurt right now,” Nico sarked, groaning again. 

“You should go to a doctor, you can die from that!”

“Oh well great, you’ve murdered me,” Nico joked, “and don’t you dare make a joke about kissing it better!”

“I wasn’t gonna!” Will protested. Nico had never heard such bullshit in his life.

“Liar,” Nico laughed, and Will turned bright pink to the tips of his ears. 

“I can’t help it, my mind made its home in the gutter years ago,” Will defended, holding his hands up. 

“I expect nothing less of you, Dr Sunshine,” Nico smiled.Then he remembered he was in pain. Then he realised it was almost gone. Then he realised he had to be over dramatic about it to be petty. He groaned again, continuing to roll about on the floor. “Will, they’re back in my stomach, I think I might be dying,” he lamented, dramatically giving Will puppy dog eyes. “I’m in agony, I’m probably bleeding, you made them fall off!”

“I uh- I’ll buy you an ice cream!” Will offered frantically, and Nico stopped groaning and rolling for a second out of interest.

“What kinda ice cream?”

“The chocolate kind,” Will clarified, and Nico held his hand out.

“Okay, I’m fine now, help me up!”

“Did you just- pretend to be in agony to get me to buy you an ice cream, di Angelo?”

“Well yeah, of course I did,” Nico replied, grabbing Will’s hand and hauling himself up to his feet, “how else am I gonna get free ice cream?”

“It’s gotta come from your money, it’s not free.”

“You’re doing the talking to the people thingy so it’s free of anxiety so it’s free ice cream.”

“You’re a menace,” Will huffed, and Nico gave his best innocent grin.

“I know,” he grinned, and Will huffed again in disbelief.

“Dammit, you’re too adorable and you just conned me!”

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Nico carefully picked the badge out of his pocket, grabbing Will’s shirt and pulling him closer. Will blushed and leaned in for a kiss, but Nico ducked his head so he could see what he was doing with the pin badge as to not stab his boyfriend a second time. “There!” Nico smiled triumphantly, stepping away again. Will was pouting dramatically, so Nico rolled his eyes and smiled, planting a soft kiss on his lips. “You’re an absolute himbo,” Nico smiled fondly, “look at your chest.”

“My chest? Why,” Will frowned seriously, “can you see my nips through my shirt?”

“Just look, you idiot,” Nico said softly, and Will looked down, breaking into a wide grin and glowing bright enough to almost blind several passers by. Thankfully, Nico had sunglasses.

“A BI BADGE!”

“You like it?”

“LOVE YOU, BEST FRIEND!”

“I’m literally your boyfriend,” Nico laughed softly.

“EVEN BETTER!” Will grinned excitedly. He reminded Nico of a puppy. He did indeed hiccup a light butterfly, which landed on Nico’s nose. Nico went cross-eyed trying to stare at it, so Will took the opportunity; “Boop!”

“I’m gonna kill you, Solace,” Nico warned affectionately, and Will giggled and started jogging.

“You’ll have to catch me first!!!”


	6. keys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Homelessness tw

Nico was exhausted and cold and scared and sleeping rough. He couldn’t stay at home, not like this, not after being disowned. He wished he had the money to find somewhere to stay tonight, that he didn’t have to sleep between some bins on a stained floor, that he wouldn’t have to look through said bins and eat the nearest thing, no matter how dirty or eaten or mouldy or allergic he was or how sick it made him. He hated drinking from the taps in the McDonald’s bathrooms. He hated the times where he couldn’t find a restroom and had to relieve himself into a bottle or a discarded container and discreetly bin it. He hated the fact that his skin was scaly brown and his hair was matted because he hadn’t had a wash in weeks. He hated finding somewhere to bed down and being moved on by the police, or returning to a doorway to find it soiled, and he hated having his belongings robbed or set on fire and he hated being hurt. He just wanted to go home, he just wanted to sleep, he just wanted to get warm and get rid of his nasty cough. He just wanted comfort. 

He found himself seeking warmth in McDonald’s- he hadn’t made any money and his sleeping bags had been slashed, so he was freezing and McDonald’s was open all the time. He was finally able to take his time in the bathroom and scrub himself in the sinks as best he could because nobody was there. He was finally able to cut his hair with a shard of broken mirror and get the rest of the knots out. He liked having longer hair, but it was so knotted. He was able to look in the mirror and see his reflection, and see how pale and thin he’d gotten. He’d gotten so thin, but he was so used to being cold and covering himself in layers that he hadn’t looked at his body. He was so thin and so frail and he felt so vulnerable. He left the bathrooms and looked around, going over to the bins. It smelled, but there were discarded fries, discarded nuggets, discarded half burgers, discarded fish fingers, and it was the closest he’d came to a balanced meal in so long he just scarfed it down, overgorging even when he felt cripplingly sick, because he didn’t know when he could next eat so indulgently. 

He finally settled on a long couch, and it was so very warm and comfortable. It was soft and it cushioned him, and although the faux leather was slightly cold, he could feel it warming up, and it wasn’t as cold as the streets. He lay down, almost crying at how comfortable it was, how warm it was, how safe he felt, and he let himself close his eyes and drift into a slumber.

“Excuse me?” Nico froze out of fear. He could feel heat radiating, he knew somebody was right close to him. He slowly opened his eyes, and a man was crouched on the floor, looking at him with concern. Not pity, but concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico lied, and the man frowned. 

“Have you had something to eat today,” he asked kindly, “I don’t mind buying you something warm.”

“I had a few fries, nuggets, a quarter of a burger, some fish fingers,” Nico said, but honestly, he was so so hungry again.

“Would you like something to eat?” Nico hesitated, then nodded, and the man smiled kindly. “What would you like?”

“Anything,” Nico replied weakly, and the man gave a kind smile. 

“I’ll be right back,” the man said softly, before leaving, but he left his bag by Nico. Didn’t he think Nico would take it, go through it, take his money, take his food, take his assets? Was he treating Nico like a person? Nico stayed where he was until the man came back, smiling gently with a double cheeseburger. Nico felt like all his christmases had come at once. 

“Thank you so much,” Nico said honestly, gently taking the burger from the man. It was so warm and it was food and it was a meal and this was precious this was survival. He gripped it for a second to warm his hands up, then started eating, savouring it, because it was tasty and it was his and it was so warm. 

“Do you have a safe place to stay tonight,” the man asked, and Nico hesitated, ashamed.

“I’ll find a doorway,” Nico replied quietly, and the man picked up his phone, scrolling through. Did he no longer care now that he knew Nico was homeless, worthless, scum?

“Okay,” the man began eventually, “I’ve checked online and there aren’t any hostels that are able to take you,” he said, and Nico lit up with both warmth and dissapointment- the man had cared enough to try to find him a home for the night, somewhere safe and warm and clean. “Well there is,” he continued, “but it’s got a lot of addicts there, and they’re unsupported, so it’s not a healthy environment, they don’t even offer rehab leaflets and they don’t even make sure users are safe.”

“I’m not an addict,” Nico felt the need to clarify, and the man smiled softly. 

“I wasn’t implying you were, just that the place is neglecting the residents’ health needs. And even if you were, it wouldn’t have made you less worthy of compassion. It doesn’t look like there’s any temporary accommodation to apply for without being put on a council waiting list…”

“It’s okay…” Nico began dejectly, “thank you for trying.”

“I’m not gonna leave you out to fend for yourself on the streets,” he said gently, “I have a spare set of keys to my apartment, if you’d like. You won’t have to pay rent, I can cover it." The man rooted through his bag and held out a spare set of keys with a gentle smile. Nico reached for them, and the man took Nico’s hand, clasping them in his own and handing over the keys. It was the most physical contact he’d had in years, and it came from one kind stranger who didn’t treat him like a leper. “I’m Will, by the way,” he introduced kindly, “what’s your name?”

“Nico.”

“Well, Nico, I hope you don’t mind things being kinda gay, I have the flag in my apartment.”

“That’s okay,” Nico smiled shyly, “I’m kinda a little gay too.”


	7. Bread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying my fics so far, feel free to ask (respectful) questions and don't be afraid to spam comments!

Will was tired, completely exhausted. He’d been working all day in the hospital, his feet were so numb he wasn’t sure he still had any, and his back hurt. But more than anything, he was incredibly hungry. Which is why, as soon as he made his way home and he locked the door, he was both surprised and excited to be greeted by the smell of freshly baked garlic bread. 

He made his way to the kitchen, where Nico was just pulling a freshly made loaf of break out of the oven, a loaf already resting on the table with garlic and chive butter. Nico smiled as he noticed Will, holding up the fresh loaf. “You must be starving,” he started, “so I baked some bread. I’ll just cut it up and add the garlic butter and you can eat it whilst it’s all warm.” Will’s eyes lit up then, staring hungrily at the bead. “I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Nico chuckled, and Will sat down. Nico scored and cut the bread, filling it with the melted garlic butter, and Will practically drooled. It smelled so good and looked so nice, and Will honestly just wanted to eat it already. “I’m making spaghetti for dinner,” Nico announced, and Will smiled.

“Babe, I love you so much right now,” he grinned.

“Ah, well, you know what they say about the way to a man’s heart,” Nico smiled, and Will blushed.

“Is through his stomach,” Will completed, and Nico chuckled again.

“Is with a really sharp knife.” Will giggled at Nico, who walked up to him with the fresh bread, pressing a few kisses onto Will’s jaw and rubbing his cheek against his stubble. 

“Can I eat this now?” Will asked eagerly, and Nico kissed the tip of his nose, his forehead, and then his lips softly. 

“No, I put it there for you to stare at,” Nico replied sarcastically, and Will giggled again, breaking off a large chunk and shoving it in his mouth, moaning softly at the warmth and the softness. 

“Babe, this is only gonna make me wanna marry you even more.”

“We’re already married, you idiot,” Nico replied fondly, resting an affectionate hand on the small of his back before sitting besides him and taking some of the bread for himself.

“Okay, but seriously though,” Will beamed, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Nico replied, kissing his cheek and nuzzling his jaw. Will threaded their fingers together, and Nico moved his chair closer to cuddle into Will’s side.


	8. Jacket

Will knew how much Nico’s jacket meant to him. After all, he was always wearing it, and when his had been left behind. Nico was devastated. So Will found himself at the rag market, looking at crowded stalls to try to find a replacement. Nico’s had been way too big on him, but that was part of why he liked it so much- it was so thick and warm and well-worn. 

Will eventually did find a jacket, hanging up for $45. It was worn, but clean, and it looked just like Nico’s old one, except the collar was clean and there weren’t so many rips in the leather. Will brought it and wore it immediately- it was so thick and warm and he could see now exactly why Nico practically lived in his. Will snuggled into the thick lining, putting his hands in his pockets- it was so so warm. Nico had probably aquired his to survive the cold whilst homeless, and now he could understand why. It was freezing, but Will could barely feel it. 

By the time Will got back to camp, he’d decided to wear the jacket for a while, so he sat in his cabin, warm and cosy wearing Nico’s new jacket. He chanced a glance in the mirror, deciding he rather liked wearing something so Nico, and he figured this must be why Nico loved borrowing Will’s clothes so much. It made him feel supported and cared for. Plus it was super warm, and Will imagined the hoodies Nico wore that were way too big for him were probably pretty cozy too. He decided he’d have to keep stealing Nico’s new jacket from time to time. Plus the way that Nico always subtly sniffed Will’s hoodies when he thought Will wasn’t lucky reminded Will that his scent brought him comfort. He could picture Nico doing the same with this jacket now- the way he’d grip the collar and bundle it up over his face, taking a deep breath in and blushing lightly, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. That, and the way Nico looked so soft and small wrapped up in Will’s clothes only made Will more smitten. Nico was far from soft- but he was loving, and Nico di Angelo was very much in love and Will could see it. 

Will eventually made his way to the Hades cabin, knocking the door softly and waiting for the reply, but there wasn’t one, and he was due to start in the infirmary just a few minutes later. He waited until he was running late for his shift, and with a heavy sigh, pulled the jacket tighter around himself and made his way to the infirmary.

He didn’t expect to see Nico stood by his desk with a brown paper bag. “Nico?”

“You always forget lunch on the night shift, so I made you lunch,” he said softly, holding the bag out with a loving smile. Will melted on the spot, taking the lunch and peering inside- he’d made pasta, which Will could easily reheat or eat cold, and there was an apple too. Will chuckled lightly and blushed- they had a running joke about ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Sometimes Nico would hand Will an apple because he needed some space, but he always packed Will an apple for his lunch. Will was silently wondering when Nico would gently throw one at him, so Will could catch it. Will had completely forgotten about the jacket until Nico’s cold knuckled brushed over his neck as he felt the collar. “This reminds me of something,” Nico said softly, a sad and nostalgic, yet tender look in his eye. 

“I brought it for you,” Will announced softly, “I thought I’d wear it, because well, it reminds me of you, and it’s just like your old one.” Will gently shrugged it off his shoulders and handed it to Nico, who blushed puce, gently taking the jacket and running his hands through the sheepskin.

“Will,” Nico began softly, holding the jacket to his chest, “this is… thank you…” 

“Why don’t you try it on,” Will said softly, and Nico managed to blush a little more, carefully pulling the heavy jacket on. Just like Will imagined, he sniffed the jacket, burying his nose into the soft collar and rubbing his cheek on it.

“Smells like you,” Nico blushed, and Will found himself turning pinker by the minute.


	9. Happy Meal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: overworking to the point of almost passing out

It was 3am when Will first started to feel dizzy, but 4am by the time he was due to finish his shift. He was on night shifts, and he’d missed dinner because he was sleeping, so he hadn’t had anything to eat. His feet and his back were killing him by now, and he was struggling to stop his hands from shaking as he stitched a camper’s headwound. His siblings had been working hard, so Will had let them take a break and sleep for the night, but Will had resigned himself to a sleepless night- because as soon as the sun rose, he’d wake anyway. But he was deliriously dizzy, and honestly, he was just trying to work through the hot flushes and the spots in his vision. He felt like he was going to pass out, his hearing muffled, si he paced around to try and bring himself back into a sense of existence before he found a quiet corner to sit on the floor, head hung between his knees, hoping the coldness would help. It helped a little, but not enough to give Will the strength to stand, so naturally, he did what any exhausted doctor would do. Stayed sitting on the floor having a breakdown and hoping to the gods that he didn’t pass out.

And then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He barely had the strength to look up, but he didn’t have to. His vision blurred again as he looked to the side, and he was sure he was about to pass out when he felt himself being lifted gently. He didn’t register most of the journey, but he found himself sighing as he was placed gently in an infirmary bed. He felt a cold hand on the back of neck whilst another gently brushed his hair back, and he just knew that it was Nico. 

“Neeks…” he began weakly, just about able to open his eyes. Nico gently kissed the top of his head, and handed a paper bag to Will. “What’s this?”

“You need to eat,” Nico said softly, “so I brought you a Happy Meal. It’s my favourite food and it always helps me to feel better, so I thought maybe I should get you one to make sure you had something to eat.”

“Nico…” Will smiled softly, opening the bag to reveal a big mac and fries. Nico placed a chocolate milkshake on the bedside table and unceremoniously shoved Will to the side of the bed, sitting snuggle beside him with his own food. Will started eating slowly, feeling slightly nauseous from almost passing out.

“How was work,” Nico asked gently, “did you take a lot of rests?”

“I was super busy,” Will replied, “so I didn’t get the chance to rest.”

“I don’t care how busy you are, Will, you have to take rests. You have siblings and they are willing to help, please actually use them to your advantage. They can handle helping out with the minor injuries and the observations. You don’t have to do absolutely everything, you know. Its not good for you, you’re going to run yourself into the ground.”

“Sorry,” Will mumbled sheepishly, giving Nico a small smile. “Thanks for the McDonald’s though, Nico, I really appreciate it. I keep missing lunch and I’m always too busy to find time to eat.”

“I know this, and that’s why I’m gonna start to bring you lunch every day,” Nico decided, resting his head on Will’s shoulder, “but for now, eat your happy meal and take a nap here with me. We can get sorta cosy for a while.”


	10. Chores

Nico was struggling, although he would never admit it to anyone. He’d decided to take some time to himself in his cabin to heal and rest, but it had soon turned into days, to the point Nico was realising that he was isolating himself, and had even less motivation to get out of bed. To make matters worse, the cabin was an absolute mess, and as much as he wanted to clean it, he just couldn’t find it within himself to actually do anything about it. Which unfortunately, made Nico feel low, because his comfort space was a wreck, and he couldn’t possibly allow visitors whilst the room was like this. Which is why, when Will Solace knocked on the door at stupid o’clock in the morning, Nico buried himself under his blankets and refused to move or make a sound. What he didn’t expect, but felt like he should have expected, was for Will to barge in anyway. He heard Will huff loudly, followed by the rustling of empty chocolate wrappers and the crumpling of plastic bottles. Nico was mortified. His boyfriend was in his cabin, clearing his mess, and Nico really wished he’d told him to go away.

But at the same time… Nico felt a little warm inside. Will was going out of his way to make Nico’s room something acceptable to live in if you weren’t a family of rats. He peeked out from under the covers, and Will was shovelling empty food wrappers into a black bag, and Nico wondered if he’d visited in the night and returned to clean. Nico quickly hid back under the covers, a little embarrassed that his boyfriend had seen the state of his room, but also kinda glad. Because Will still loved him despite the mess. Then Will started to move Nico’s furniture. Nico was about to start ranting when he looked from his covers to see that Will was merely moving stuff to reach the mess underneath. Nico cringed when he saw a spider crawling up Will’s arm, and had to stifle a laugh when Will squealed loudly because of it. He quickly hid back under the covers so Will wouldn’t notice he was there, and that is when he heard Will opening his drawers. Nico had to look.

Thankfully though, Will quickly closed Nico’s underwear drawer as soon as he noticed it was full of underwear, for which Nico was very grateful for. Will was taking out the clothes that had been worn just a few too many times, and placing them in a laundry basket. Nico felt guilty, because Will shouldn’t have to do this. But then he remembered that Will could not be made to do things that he didn’t want to, and Nico hadn’t asked. Will was volunteering his time to do this. Nico thought Will should be doing something fun, not Nico’s laundry.

And of course, that was the exact moment that Will went to grab the covers and seemed to notice the lump that was Nico di Angelo. “Death Boy?”

“Fuck off, Solace,” Nico hissed, and Will giggled melodically.

“I’ve missed you too!” Will said, peeling back the covers to smile at Nico. Nico couldn’t help the tiny smile that made its way onto his face- Will always understood Nico’s less conventional ways of saying I love you. Although what made Nico feel the most comfortable was that there was no judgment in Will’s happy expressions.

“What’re you doing in here?” Nico asked non-chalantly, stretching his back.

“Chores!” Will beamed. “I’ve noticed you haven’t been up to much lately, and I know there’s not much I can do, so I thought I’d help tidy up a bit so it’s one less thing for you to worry about! You just gotta worry about getting yourself clean and walking around a little. Don’t worry if you aren’t up to it, though. If you need, I have a pack of wet wipes so you can go over your hands and face.”

“That’s… really considerate,” Nico blushed, “but if you’re doing all my cleaning up, then I think I can probably manage a shower.”

“That’s great! I’m super proud of you!” Nico felt the sentiment a little unnecessary, but he also felt like he needed to hear that despite the fact he was struggling to take care of himself, Will was proud at him for trying his hardest, even if trying his hardest meant wasn’t enough to do everything. Nico had been sleeping in his jeans and tshirt, and was now realising how unfresh they were. He was just so used to wearing them he didn’t really notice. So he picked out his warmest, cleanest pyjamas and headed to the bathroom to shower whilst Will helped clear his cabin.

When Nico finally emerged from the bathroom, he’d done a little more than he’d expected himself to do. He’d brushed his teeth and brushed his hair, tying it back. He felt fresh and comfortable, a feeling he’d forgotten felt so good. He hadn’t noticed how gross he’d been feeling until he no longer felt gross. Will had changed Nico’s covers and made quite a comfortable looking sofa out of pillows on his bed, and was sitting down smiling with two mugs of hot cocoa, the quilt, and the TV pulled up close. He patted the bed besides him and Nico sat down, taking a minute to notice how comfortable and clean and fresh everything felt. It lifted his mood a little. The cabin was so clean and open, and there was so much that had been done that Nico now didn’t have to worry about, and because he wasn’t stuck stressing about the state of his cabin, he’d felt able to get on top of self care. He was thankful for Will knowing that he didn’t need to be fixed, that help didn’t always mean talking it through or crying it out. Sometimes the biggest help was doing the little things, like tidying up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still managing to write one a day😂 I'm super proud. Anyone have a favourite so far?


	11. cuddly toy

Nico wasn’t one for shopping, not really, especially not for toys. Nico barely owned any clothes because that meant going shopping. Yet he found himself in the city centre in the local toy shop. Will had supported him so much recently, and Nico wanted to say thank you. Plus, Will always deserved to be treated to something nice. The worst thing about growing up was this weird idea that you couldn’t enjoy fun anymore. Cuddly toys were seen as childish, card games were seen as playground silliness, everything enjoyable that wasn’t a violent video game was seen as childish. Nico hated that. He’d grown up too fast and so had Will, and he was determined to make Will feel young again, to feel able to have fun.

So Nico brought a massive teddy bear. And not one that you could wrap both arms around. A giant golden fluffy Cerberus plushie that Nico could barely carry at all. A giant plushie of Nico’s family dog seemed like a tender gift, but a fun one. He imagined Will allowing himself to fall face first into the fluff, giggling and glowing. He blushed and smiled at that.

The plushie cost him about $100, which he knew Will would complain about, but hey, Nico was rich now. So he gladly paid for the plushie, and struggled to carry it back, only to realise he could just shadow travel back to camp. He ended up in a heap on the floor, the Cerberus toy smothering him. He laughed to himself and pushed it off him, then laughed again because the stupid thing was so damn big. He ended up attempting to stuff him onto one of the chairs, but he was just too big. Nico frowned a little- how would he be able to fit him in Will’s cabin? He wasn’t even sure if the thing would fit through the door. But that didn’t matter. It would make Will immensely happy, and that’s all that mattered to him.

By the time Will unceremoniously shoved open the door to Nico’s cabin to start venting about his day and ask for cuddles, Nico had managed to sit the Cerberus plush between his chest of drawers and his wardrobe. Will’s face changed from exhausted to excitable puppy in a matter of seconds, and Nico felt proud of himself for causing that reaction. “He’s for you,” Nico announced, and Will looked between Nico and the plushie in ecstatic disbelief. Will ran full pelt at the cuddly toy, leaping up and throwing himself into its fur, hugging it as best he could. He was glowing brightly, giggling into the fur. Nico blushed and smiled as Will plopped himself on the floor in front of the Cerberus, bringing the paws to wrap around him and a head to rest on either shoulder and his head. He giggled happily, and Nico wanted to see that every day, Will, happy and bubbly and adorable.

Nico’s heart was yearning so hard. Will was so so pretty,,, his freckles,,, gLOwEd,,,,,, asfkljkldfghasdjkskl; such a pretty pretty boy,,, then he giggled again,, and- oh gods, oh fuck,,, Nico’s heart couldn’t take the gay. Nico couldn’t imagine a future without his adorable goofy boyfriend. He was smitten.

So that day, Nico was very, very glad to be the reason his boyfriend smiled like that.


	12. Blanket

Nico, Will noticed, was almost always cold. His hands were absolutely freezing, his nose was usually tinged pink at the tip, and he was almost always stealing Will's clothes for warmth. Which is why Will found himself rubbing blankets against his cheek to find the softest one he could. They were all too rough or too- well, normal. Will wanted something bold for Nico, something dark and something totally awesome. But the only skull blankets he'd found so far were for kids or pets. He almost gave up looking- until he finally saw the perfect blanket for Nico- a black blanket with skulls and the Hades insignia printed on, and still soft to the touch. Will decided that Nico would absolutely love it, so of course, he brought it. 

And then, of course, he convinced himself that it was completely stupid. So when he got back to camp, he hid the blanket and decided to never look at it again.

Until Nico ended up in the infirmary again, that is, and Will found himself sniffling and crying, holding the blanket close to his chest as he sobbed. He hated Nico being sick or hurt- he wanted Nico to be okay, of course he did, so it hurt when he wasn't okay.

And the next time Nico was in the infirmary, shivering in the middle of the night, Will found himself gently draping the blanket over the tiny form, and hoping to the gods that Nico didn't hate him for it.

When Will returned in the morning, Nico was completely buried in the blanket, snuggled up to it. Will sat and watched him on his morning break (read: when he was bunking off his shift whilst Kayla covered for him), and Nico finally stirred. He whined adorably, bringing the blanket closer to his face and sniffing it. That's when Will realised that all his time cuddling up to the blanket had made it smell like him. Nico wrapped himself up completely before peeking his head out, his nose still buried and his eyes bleary, his hair a complete bedhead mess. Will blushed, because he was just so damn cute. Nico hummed sleepily, burying his face back into the blanket and closing his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Will," he mumbled dreamily, and Will realised that Nico probably hadn't realised he was there when Nico let out a contented sigh.

"Morning, gorgeous," Will said softly, and Nico hummed and yawned, looking at Will through half closed eyes. 

"'s warm," he mumbled, "'n' it smells like you…" Nico sniffed again, burying himself deeper into the blanket. He hummed again, drifting back off to sleep. Will was finally glad that he had gotten the blanket.


	13. Picture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm particularly proud of this one guys

Nico was feeling sentimental and nostalgic. When he'd first gotten into a relationship with Will, it wasn't that Nico didn't necessarily want a future with Will, but rather he had a hard time imagining Will sticking around. Plus they were both so young at the time. But now it was their five year anniversary of their first date, now aged 19, and Nico couldn't quite believe the way that he still had butterflies. Maybe things weren't so passionate or intense with rapid heartbeats and rosy blushes. But that didn't mean that they didn't love each other. Relationships took collaboration. You had to work together to stay in love.

They were domestic now, settled. They'd wake up and exchange small kisses, casual intimacy more common than lengthy make out sessions. Sometimes the little bad habits of Will's would annoy Nico, so Nico would listen to their old playlists, look at the photographs from when they were younger, remind himself of Will's giggle and the way he traced 'I love you' onto Nico's skin, the way he helped kids and smiles and laughed and his freckles. And Nico would fall in love all over again. Nico chose to stay in love with Will, because Will was always worth falling in love with, and he was his best friend.

So Nico found the old polaroids, looked through them all with a smile, and he picked out his favourite one, of Will sitting on Nico's lap resting his elbow on Nico's head whilst Nico playfully shoved him off. They were such dorks back then, he mused. Nico loved Will on purpose. This relationship had been no accident, and Nico loved it. He knew Will loved him on purpose too, because when times were dark and they had less time for each other and they'd fallen out of love and could barely stand each other, they would both take the time to remind themselves of all the things they fell in love with, and they'd talk and talk and talk and kiss and they'd love each other all over again, on purpose. That was commitment. They wanted to love each other so they did. They were much happier in love than they ever were out of love and they chose each other, always and forever.

So Nico took the photograph and he started sketching, he sketched long into the night and he sketched all of Will's freckles, glowing constellations on his cheeks, and Nico fell in love all over again.

When Nico finally handed the picture to Will, one night after an argument, slipping it under the door and listening to Will sniffle, he sat by the door silently until the door opened. Nico stood and Will held his arms out for a hug, and gods did Nico need it. They hugged and they talked and they laughed and they kissed and, on purpose, they fell back in love all over again.


	14. Photograph

Will hated going inside Nico’s cabin. Not because he didn’t like Nico’s company, or because it was dark, and not even because it was always cold either, but because it was so empty. There were no memories there, no special drawings from his childhood, no special blanket his mom gave him, no stuffed toy his sister brought him- it felt empty and it felt lonely. It saddened Will to think that Nico had no happy memories to keep. Nico had nothing to hold onto for comfort, nothing to remind him who he was living for. Will wanted badly to change that. It must have been so lonely to be sad when you had nothing and nobody to hold onto of a night. 

So Will went through his phone, looked at every last photograph he had, and- nope, none of them felt like the right one. He wanted something that looked natural, that looked private and intimate, like a kiss or a photograph of Will holding Nico close. He wanted something that wasn’t a memory of goofing around, but a memory of a more serious kind of affection. He wanted one where he looked at Nico like Nico was his world, one where Nico would feel truly loved if he looked at it.

So Will went to the two people he could trust to have thoroughly invaded his privacy and taken the photos- Lou-Ellen and Cecil. And it turned out he was right- between them, they’d amassed quite the portfolio. But one in particular caught Will’s eye. They were sitting in the mud in the rain, and Will was glowing softly as he kissed Nico, holding his jacket above Nico’s head. He remembered that day- Nico had been crying, and Will had held him and sat in the mud and they’d both caught a cold, but he remembered how intimate that moment had been, and he remembered what he’d said to Nico.

And it seemed Nico did too, when he noticed the picture in a yellow frame on his bedside table. “You told me, ‘you’re never alone, Nico, I promise you. I’m here and I love you, you are loved, you are enough, you are worth a thousand suns…’” Nico teared up, gently tracing the picture with his finger, and for a moment, Will thought he’d done wrong, but then Nico turned and hugged Will tightly, crying into his shoulder. “Thank you… I still need that reminder sometimes…”

Maybe not every picture painted a thousand words, but perhaps sometimes, it painted the words somebody needed to hear the most.


	15. Stress Ball

Will looked stressed. He had a habit of overworking himself to the point of being physically unable to pick himself up off the floor or eat or anything, and Nico would have to pick his shaking body up from the floor. Nico hasn't managed to stop Will from over working himself, but he figured he should make Will more comfortable at least. 

So Nico brought a stress ball. It wasn't much, but if it helped Will to cope when stressed, then it would make his days just a tiny bit less distressing. It wasn't a lot, but it didn't need to be a lot, it just needed to be something better than nothing. And it was thoughtful. It would relieve Will's stress and make his day just a little bit brighter.

Nico went to the infirmary to find Will, and he was easy to find sat as his desk in the reception area- but he was fast asleep. Nico smiled to himself and left the stress ball by his hand, gently kissing his forehead. Will sighed and smiled in his sleep, so Nico left him alone.

Will came running into the Hades cabin the next morning, and threw his arms around Nico. Nico stumbled back a little- after all, Will was bigger and heavier than Nico was, and Nico was just getting ready for bed now he'd had his breakfast. (could you still call it breakfast if you technically had it for dinner?) Nico didn't know and he didn't care. He only cared that Will was hugging him and he was warm and he was glowing. "Thank you so much," Will smiled into Nico's shoulder, "I really appreciate the stress ball, it helps and it was thoughtful."

"I-I did good?" Nico asked for reassurance, and Will hummed into his shoulder. He must have been feeling clingy, because he showed no signs of letting go any time soon. "Wanna take a nap?" Nico asked, and Will yawned and hummed sleepily in response, so Nico carefully pulled Will onto his bed. He didn't have the chance to pull the covers over them, because Will had an insane ability to turn into a heavy cuddly octopus when he was sleepy, but Will was warm and he was finally sleeping.


	16. Tickets

Nico screeched. He didn't scream or squeal, he screeched some kind of unholy noise that lead Will to believe his boyfriend was being murdered or possessed. What Will saw, however, when he ran into Nico's cabin, was far more terrifying. Nico had discovered technology. Afraid Nico had managed to discover something horrifying or managed to bring the entire internet down, Will quickly grabbed his phone. 

The reality was worse.

Nico di Angelo had just found out that MCR were reuniting.

"WILL! WILL! WILL! WILL! WILL! THE GODS LISTENED TO ME! MCR ARE BACK! AND I WANNA GO TO THE CONCERT BUT DAD SAID NO PLEASE TAKE ME!"

"Uh- calm down a second, let me just process- why did your dad say no?"

"BECAUSE HE'S MY DAD HELLO DID YOU FORGET HE HATES ME?"

"Uh-" Will wasn't so sure that Hades actually hated Nico, but then again, he had told Nico that he should have died and not Bianca. "And what exactly do you want me to do? I don't wanna argue with the guy who's gonna judge my soul, I'm pretty sure he's already mad at me for dating you."

"WILL IF I DON'T GO TO THE CONCERT I'M GONNA DIE I CAN FEEL MY SOUL FADING!" Okay, so apparently Will's boyfriend was dramatic.

"You're not gonna die Nico," Will sighed, sitting down, and Nico shook him roughly.

"WILL THIS IS WHY I WAS BORN I HAVE TO GO TO THE CONCERT OTHERWISE MY SOUL WILL LEAVE MY BODY AND GO BACK TO TARTARUS! AND MY DAD WON'T PAY FOR THE TICKETS SO I'M GONNA DIE NOT LETTING ME GO IS MURDERING ME!"

Will knew that Nico would be crushed if he couldn't go to the concert. Even though Will knew that Nico would hate it. Not because he wouldn't like the music, but because concerts were a sensory nightmare. If he could barely stand the Apollo cabin singalong, he'd hate concerts. But Will also knew from the wild expression in Nico's eyes and the way he bounced and waved his hands that if Nico wasn't able to go, that Nico would always fixate on what he missed out on. Music was something Nico was known to hyperfixate on, and the MCR reunion was the experience of a lifetime. 

So when Will was finally able to leave Nico's cabin with a headache from Nico shouting down his ear, he immediately set about buying tickets, but they were all sold out. Will didn't wanna have to explain to Nico that he couldn't go, so Will did the one thing he knew how to do. Annoy his dad until Apollo left two tickets under his pillow.

And when he gave those tickets to Nico, he'd officially seen somebody pass out from over-excitement for the first time.


	17. Stethoscope

Nico wanted to treat Will. After all, he deserved a treat, and Nico knew exactly what to buy. Although apparently, stethoscopes were insanely expensive. Especially if you decided to make one from yellow gold with diamonds and sapphires on it. Nico took a moment to be shocked by the price tag, before remembering his dad was rich so he could simply use his dad's money to buy it. He was mad at his dad anyway so it was fine. 

Nico added: "Will, all my love, Nico" as an engraving around the gemstones, with the anniversary of the day they finally confessed they liked each other. He ordered it, and waited several painstaking days for it to arrive. And when it did, it looked perfect. So Nico set out to deliver the gift.

Will was in the infirmary as expected, restocking shelves in the store cupboard. Nico gently closed the door and approached Will, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind and breathing in the scent of his boyfriend. Will glowed softly, taking Nico's hands. 

"I love you, Nico," Will sighed gently, and Nico planted a soft kiss on the back of Will's neck. 

"Ti amo, tesoro," Nico replied gently, taking a moment to close his eyes and savour the moment. "I brought you something."

"Oh?" Will glowed hopefully, turning in Nico's arms and gently kissing him. Nico hummed softly, melting into the kiss before remembering his gift. Then he decided it could wait a while because kissing Will just felt so so good. He was melting and burning under Will's touch, his body alight with a warm shivering fire he never wanted to extinguish. Nico whimpered softly before pulling away, pulling his gift from the shadows and handing the box to Will, who glowed in anticipation and excitement. 

Will carefully opened the box, his glow changing to completely overjoyed and sentimental as happy tears welled in his eyes. He put the stethoscope round his neck and hugged Nico tightly, sniffling into his shoulder. "Nico, I love it!"

"I thought you might," Nico smiled, rocking softly, "happy anniversary, Will."

"I didn't have the money to get you anything, and you got me this and it's perfect and I…"

"You're more than enough of a gift to me," Nico replied soothingly, pulling back to cup Will's cheeks in his hands. "I don't need or want anything other than you. Except maybe kisses." Will giggled and blushed, so Nico jumped up to sit on one of the shelves, pulling Will closer for a lengthy snog.


	18. Paperweight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: arachnaphobia (fear of spiders)

Will always giggled watching Nico trying to learn. Not because it was funny when Nico struggled, but because he insisted on working outside. His papers would always blow everywhere, but Nico was too much of a stubborn dumbass to take his work inside. Even when it rained. 

So Will set about buying a paperweight. Most of which were ugly or aimed at little girls or elderly women. Nothing Nico would appreciate. That was, of course, until Will found a heavy resin paperweight with a dead tarantula encased inside. He just knew Nico would love him. The only downfall was that Will was scared of spiders, so it took him ten minutes of squealing and pulling his hand back before he had the courage to pick it up, cringing and whimpering. Getting it back consisted of Will constantly making sob-like whines at the absolutely horrible creature he was convinced would escape the resin. He practically threw it at Nico when he got back to camp. 

"He likes you," Nico smiled after thanking Will. Will gas never heard such an ominous statement in his life.

"He what now?"

"He likes you," Nico clarified, "his ghost I mean."

"I'm sorry what?" Will laughed nervously, and Nico revealed a ghostly spider slowly crawling up Will's arm. Will screamed, waving his arm like crazy and attempting to push the spider off, hysterical noises alerting other campers, who laughed. Nico didn't laugh though. 

"Will, are you scared of spiders?" Will nodded, frozen to the spot, and Nico gently sighed, reaching out and pulling Will in for a hug. "I'm sorry, Will," he said gently, "if I'd have known I wouldn't have said anything."

"I hate spiders," Will whimpered, clinging to Nico.

"Then why did you get me a paperweight with a spider in it, eh?"

"I knew you'd find him adorable and I wanted to treat you…"

"I love you, Will, and I love my new bambino, but please, don't freak yourself out again just to buy me a gift, you idiot, I don't want you being distressed." Will fell in love with Nico a little more.


	19. Pen

Will got through pens faster than Drew got through boyfriends. Not that there was anything wrong with Drew knowing her own worth, just Nico noted that she managed to weed out the assholes super fast. But anyways, Nico noted that Will got through pens at an alarming rate, and honestly, if Will continued using two pens a day, he was single handedly going to double all the plastic in the ocean. (Okay, maybe Nico was exaggerating, but still.) 

So Nico wanted to buy him one that would last. So he set about finding a quill or a fountain pen. Then he remembered that the ink took ages to dry and Will was left handed, so it would undoubtedly lead to Will smudging his work to the point it was illegible. Not that Will's writing was legible anyway. Like a true doctor, Will could not write neat to save his life- or his patients lives, when it came to the pharmacy having to take a wild guess at whatever medication Will had written down this time.

Eventually, Nico settled on buying a very expensive refillable ball-point pen, engraved with Will's name and made out of gold, a sunstone at the very top carved into a little smiley sun. He knew Will would love it, so Nico brought it and left it on Will's desk before the night shift.

Will noticed the pen straight away, carefully examining it and promptly bursting into tears. "Did I… did I do wrong?" Nico asked nervously, and Will jumped up out of his seat, squeezing Nico in a hug Nico was sure would break his ribs. 

"I love it," Will sobbed, and Nico hugged back.

"Can't breathe, Will," Nico wheezed.

"Sorry!" Will laughed, hugging Nico tighter.

"Will!"

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Will giggled lightly, relaxing his arms considerably. Nico coughed to make sure his lungs still worked, then kissed Will's cheek gently.


	20. Notepad

Will loved writing, and he wanted to share that with Nico. He loved writing poetry and songs and small stories (read: self indulgent stories about him maybe kissing Nico one day- he may have a tiny crush on the Son of Hades. Oh, who was he kidding, he was in love with the guy).

So Will brought a black notepad with a skull on it, because he knew it would fit perfectly with Nico's edgy aesthetic. Nico didn't have to use it for stories or poems, maybe he could use it as a diary, or a scrapbook, or even as a reminder to do things each day, or a recipe book- anything! 

Will was so sure his gift would make Nico smile, so despite almost fainting at the cost of the notebook (Will's broke ass could barely afford sweets from the dollar store, and here he was spending ten dollars on one fucking notebook), he brought it and wrapped it, signing it from a secret admirer.

Will's plan backfired though, because Nico knew Will's handwriting anywhere- it was easy to recognise: all the letters merged into one long word, nothing was on the lines, letters looked like squiggles, and it gave you a headache to look at. 

Nico didn't say that he knew, though. He merely took the gift with a smile on his face and a blush on his cheeks, and the first thing he put in his notebook was "Nico di Angelo Solace", drawn in a heart with "FUCK YOU CUPID" scrawled messily around the page.


	21. Sketchpad

Nico loved to sketch. He wasn't much good at reading or writing, and he didn't much like craft hobbies, and he wasn't the most up to date with technology, but drawing was something he didn't need to focus so much on. Not that art was easy, but he personally found it much easier to maintain his focus for longer with less frustration. He had music in his headphones and a show on Will's laptop. Then Nico had an idea.

He wanted to share this part of himself with Will, but he was very private about his art and he wasn't ready to let Will see yet. Nico often vented in his art one way or another, because if he could get all the trauma and dark or intrusive thoughts onto paper, he found them less scary, so he could cope better. He feared if Will saw, he'd think the drawings were ideation or to trigger himself. So he wasn't ready for Will to see just yet. 

Which is why Nico decided on buying Will a sketchpad- that way, Will could doodle too, hopefully find an escape, maybe understand Nico a little more too. So Nico went to the most expensive art shop he could find, and brought the best quality sketchbook he could afford- which wasn't exactly difficult for Nico either. He decided to do a single drawing, though, of Will in the sunlight, a flower to his face and freckles glowing and curls bouncing. He looked breathtaking, but far better in real life, of course. 

Nico gave his gift to Will whilst they sat in the Hades cabin, and Will smiled softly. "For me?"

"I want you to have the escape that I have," Nico replied awkwardly, looking down and blushing whilst fiddling with the blanket, "and uh… I drew you something too… I'm proud of it I think? Yeah… anyways uhrm… I hope it helps you a little."

"Oh Nico, that's so thoughtful," Will gasped softly, before leaning over and kissing Nico's cheek. Nico missed the "I love it! I love you!" That followed, because he'd completely stopped working when Will kissed his cheek like that.


	22. Paints

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write

Nico loved to paint. Will had seen him painting so many times, in his sketchbook, on canvas, on the walls even, and Will really wanted to buy Nico some good paints. Unfortunately, Will was broke, so he could only afford cheap paints. He felt a little stupid handing them over.

"Take of your shirt," Nico demanded, and Will thought all his Christmases had come at once. He practically ripped his shirt off and dove in for a kiss, but Nico gently put his hand between them. Will tried not to act too disappointed, but Nico's blush and laugh at Will's pouty face told him that he was terrible at acting like he didn't wanna make out with his boyfriend. "Lie down," Nico commanded, and this time, Nico chuckled at Will's excitable grin. "No, on your stomach," Nico clarified. Will was sure his brain stopped working completely. 

Although his brain suddenly started working when he felt freezing cold paint and a very tickly paintbrush on his back. He squealed and tensed, and Nico giggled softly, before straddling Will. Will lost all ability to keep his cool and his blotchy pink blush spread through his entire body. "You look like a lobster," Nico commented, softly rubbing Will's back, "I'm not gonna kill you, so relax." That wasn't why Will was flustered and nervous, but sure, Nico believing that would make things far less awkward. 

Will couldn't stop giggling whilst Nico painted his back, and Will was so thankful that the paint was an excellent distraction from Nico sitting on him. He eventually relaxed, letting Nico finish painting. He eventually felt Nico shift and move away- which Will cursed the gods for- and heard several snaps of a camera. Will sat up carefully, only just realising from the way his glow reflected on Nico's skin that he was in fact glowing like crazy. Nico handed Will a polaroid, and Will gasped.

He looked breathtaking. 

Soft white angel wings arched over his shoulder blades, reaching their tips at the dimples at the bottom of his spine. His freckles were glowing, and Nico had painted soft lines between them, like constellations, and Will looked so beautiful, his soft curls fanned out against the black sheets, with a soft glow. He looked like an angel, like constellations in the nights sky. Will had never looked so beautiful. "Neeks… wow…"

"You should get that as a tattoo," Nico said softly, and Will glowed in agreement. "Okay, I'll put you out of your misery, you can kiss me now," Nico added, and before he had chance to say any more, Will attacked his lips. Nico pulled away slightly. "Hands stay above the waist and don't get paint on me." 

"Of course," Will grinned, diving back in for the kiss. When they emerged from the Hades cabin, everyone wanted to know why they were both covered in paint.


	23. Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry this is pure crack😂

Will wasn't terrible at fighting. After all: he'd survived two wars. He certainly wasn't the best at camp, but he was brave and smart and fast and efficient. He also had good abs, but Nico wasn't trying to think about that right now. But his abs were rock solid. Damn Will was hot. Nico shook his head and realised that his brain wasn't gonna stop thinking of Will's hotness, so he just let his thoughts be and tried to focus on which sword to buy. And not how hot Will would look stood outside with thick work boots and tiny shorts and a utility belt whilst covered in oil and sweat in the hot sun whilst sharpening a blade with his biceps flexing like mad. And his abs. Gods his abs were glorious. Nico totally brought Will a sword because he wanted to teach Will his favourite combat practice. Not at all because Will would look hot shirtless cutting through monsters like they were butter. Gods Nico was just so fucking gay. He internally laughed at little him thinking he'd ever growing up straight when men like Will existed. 

Nico knew he was blushing like mad in the middle of a sword shop in New Rome, but he didn't care. His boyfriend was too hot, so sue him for thinking about him. 

Eventually, Nico managed to find the mythical beast known as focus for long enough to purchase a decent sword- in imperial gold, with a sun carved into the blade and several jewels on the pommel making a sun too. He brought it immediately, and shadow travelled back. Will was currently in the middle of a circle of campers chanting "CHUG!" 

Nico pushed his way through the crowd and stared in horror. Nico had no idea what Will was drinking, but judging by all the open pop bottles, he'd mixed them all together and was chugging the concoction from a dirty boot. Nico hoped to the gods Will never discovered alcohol. Gods why the fuck did he have to fall for this dork? He sighed heavily, watching in a mix of confusion, embarrassment, and amusement. Not embarrassment because he was embarrassed by Will, but because he was embarrassed for Will. He knew Will had exactly zero shame and he loved it about him. Then he realised he needn't be embarrassed for Will because cringe culture was dead. He decided to enjoy the raw stupidity of his himbo boyfriend, who was definitely going to feel ill for a while later, and fell in love a little more. 

By the time Will noticed him, he was completely sticky from where the pop had dribbled down his shirt. Nico wished he'd take it off but he told himself to chill the fuck out. "Hi Will," Nico began awkwardly, trying not to stare at Will's shirt clinging to his body. 

"You're bright red, are you sick?" Will fussed. Nico's thoughts stopped in their tracks.

"Will. Will I'm not sick. I was flustered. You're hot. You're such an idiot. But you're my idiot. I love you."

"I love you too!" Will beamed, glowing brightly and giggling. He'd already discussed playful insults with Will, and he knew Will was okay with it, and Will would say if the playful jibes started to get him down. "Also I am glad you think I'm hot, because I'm pretty sure you're the only person who saw me covered in guts and thought 'wow, he's a keeper'" Nico snorted at that. 

"I mean I look like a demented raccoon yet you think I'm hot."

"Hush, raccoons are cute," Will laughed, and Nico blushed.

"I'm not cute, Solace," Nico grumbled, and Will giggled and glowed.

"You're babey, just accept it and hush." 

"Oh!! I almost forgot!" Nico exclaimed, pulling the sword from behind his back- Will had to jump back, otherwise there would have been a very unfortunate collision between the blade and Will's crotch, and Nico completely lost his mind laughing at his own stupidity. "I brought you a sword," he managed through snorting wheezing giggles.

"I don't trust you anywhere near me with as blade anymore, good gods," Will joked, and Nico made a playful stabbing motion at Will. "Only you could find almost stabbing your boyfriend funny," Will chuckled, and Nico had to lean on Will's shoulder to keep his balance, hysterically laughing. 

"Godsfuckingdammit, we're such dorks," Nico giggled.

"Can I see the sword now," Will asked through giggles, and Nico handed it over.

"Holy shit," Will gasped, "it's beautiful…"

Nico wished he had a good and relevant response. But his brain decided otherwise. "Why do we say holy shit? What makes the shit holy?" And that was the moment that Will completely lost his shit laughing. He was done, he was gone, and he was on the floor crying with laughter absolutely convinced that Nico was trying to kill him.


	24. Bow and Arrow

Will was terrible at archery. Even now, sitting in the forges with his siblings crafting arrow heads, he felt like a fraud. Good for nothing, nobody. He felt like he was wasting resources, because he'd never be good enough to use them. His arrows would miss. So he never put any effort into making them. But these weren't for him. Even though he sucked at it, archery was special to him, and he wanted to share that with Nico. 

So he made his arrows extra sharp, extra barbed. He made sure that they were attached to the shaft in such a way that the head would separate when wet- for example, when in a bloody wound. These arrows were designed to kill. They'd rip if you pulled them out backwards, so your only hope would be to push the arrow out the other side as quickly as possible. An arrow to the lungs or stomach was guaranteed fatal in almost all cases. And if the arrow didn't kill you, the infection would. If you shot close enough to the bone, the muscle contraction would bend the arrow head into a barb. And if it lodged its self in bone, well- you wouldn't be able to remove it fast enough without surgery. Will dipped his arrows in poison before carefully placing them in a quiver. 

He set about buying a bow- he didn't trust himself to be able to make one himself. Nico was shorter than him, so Will was extra careful to make sure he picked a bow of the right size. He rather liked recurve bows, but he figured that they were too much like cupids, plus most of them appeared to be taller than Nico. Will found one in black, and picked it up carefully. He drew it back to test the strength and the tension in the string, the weight distribution, whether the aim would be decent. It was a good bow, so Will brought it. He'd saved up for a while. 

He handed it to Nico later that evening, who gasped softly and looked at Will adoringly. "It's perfect, Will…"

"I uh… wanted to share- archery is important to me and I wanted to share it with you…"

"I'll treasure it forever, thank you, Will…" Will glowed softly as Nico hugged him warmly.

"Just don't touch the arrow tips, they have poison on them."


	25. Puppy

"Nico, what's in the box?"

A bark.

"Nico is that a puppy?"

"Why don't you open the box then?" Nico was trying to conceal his grin as Will began to glow, gently placing the box on the floor and peeling it open slowly. Will squealed as the overgrown puppy barked again, and Nico kneeled to sit beside Will. "He has an ear missing so nobody wanted him," Nico announced softly.

"Aawww is he an old dog?" Will asked, lifting the giant puppy onto his lap. The dog rested his paws and chin on Will's chest, and Will was melting. 

"He's a puppy," Nico grinned. 

"Nico he's as big as you," Will countered, burying his face in the fur.

"He's a hellhound," Nico clarified, "his mother was gonna eat him so I panicked and saved him and… I knew how much you wanted a puppy and I know you're responsible enough to care for him, so… do you like him? I- I can take him back if a dog is too much-"

"Nico, he's perfect!" Will glowed brightly, the giant puppy wagging his tail contentedly. "I'm gonna make sure he's the happiest dog alive!" 

"I have advise from Hades on how to care for him- here! He wrote it all down!" Nico shoved a notebook at Will, who was scratching the puppy behind the ear. "What are you gonna name him?" Nico asked, reaching out and watching his hand disappear into the thick fur. He had the adorable mental image of the puppy all grown up with a soft glow coming from the fur with Will nowhere to be seen until he'd poke a hand out. 

"I think I'm gonna name him Fluffy," Will beamed. Nico figured fluffy was a good first addition to the family he was building in his head with Will.


	26. Kitten

Will knocked gently on the Hades cabin door, and Nico sleepy opened it, inviting Will in. "Solace what the fuck are you doing at my door at 4am?" 

"I- uh-" Will cleared his throat awkwardly, and Nico blushed. "I found something…"

"Is it your dignity? Please tell me it's your dignity."

Will huffed. "I'm not in the mood, Nico."

"I apologise," Nico said immediately, "I didn't intend to upset you and I am sorry that I did." Will sat on the edge of Nico's bed, and Nico sat beside him, gently rubbing his back. "Are you okay?"

"It's winter," Will replied grumpily.

"Ah… what did you find to make you come to my cabin so late?"

"Early," Will corrected, opening his coat slightly, "I found him in the snow…" Nico gasped softly as Will pulled a tiny black kitten from his jacket, holding him carefully. The kitten squirmed, so Will set him down on the bed and put his leg across the edge so he wouldn't fall off. The kitten could barely crawl, and he was shivering and wet. "I warmed him up as best I could, but with my dog, and my cabin being so loud, I… I didn't know who else to turn to…"

"He's so small," Nico gasped in wonder, reaching out with his finger, smiling softly when a tiny paw gave a little pap to his fingertip. 

"Do you think you'd be able to look after him?" Will asked carefully, and Nico beamed at him as the kitten mewled. 

"Me and Count Fluffula are going to be just fine together," Nico grinned.

"Count Fluffula?"

"He's my new son," Nico smiled, carefully picking up Count Fluffula. Will smiled and glowed softly.


	27. House

"Hey, Will," Nico smiled, "you wanna go for a walk?"

"Nico. Nico it's freezing. I'd rather stick my balls in a toaster in the bath."

"Ouch," Nico winced. A pause. "I'm never using the toaster again." 

"I'm not moving."

"Yes you are!" Nico grabbed Will's hand, hauling him up from the cramped sofa of his friend's student accommodation. Will wasn't supposed to be there, but he had nowhere else to stay. Will huffed, pulling his jacket on and his boots, following Nico out into the cold.

"Neeks, it's freezing," Will complained, and Nico pressed himself closer to Will. 

"You're gonna love this, I promise."

"Currently not loving it," Will grumbled. He continued to complain until Nico stopped at a beautiful house with a sizeable garden. "Who are we visiting?" Will asleep curiously, and Nico hummed in response, taking out a set of keys and opening the house door, leading Will inside. 

Nico went straight to the fridge, grabbing an apple and biting into it. "I hope you don't mind me stealing your food from your fridge," Nico mumbled around a mouthful of apple, and Will took a good few seconds to react. His face changed from confusion to shock to blubbering mess. 

"You brought me a house?!"

"Yep!" Nico hugged Will, who just sobbed into his shoulder. "You okay there, buddy?" Will sobbed incoherently in response. "I hated seeing you sleeping on Cecil's sofa constantly hiding from his RA and not being able to get the food you liked and stuff so… I brought you a house so you never have to worry about that ever again. All the bills will be paid for, I'm rich enough. Until you have a source of income, I'll buy all the food you need."

"Oh my gods, Nico! I can't- this is so- holy crap…"

"I painted all the walls white so you can decorate it however you want to. Go wild. Paint funky suns on the walls and rainbows and castles and dragons and paint the stars on your ceiling. Just go wild and have fun."

"Oh my god, Nico, how can I ever repay you?"

"By living your best life in this house. Make good use of it. Chill naked on the sofa and throw wild parties and invite guys round and build pillow forts and make a mess in the kitchen. Just go wild. Have fun. Live. Make use of my gift, and that is how you repay me."

"There… there's a particular guy I like…" Will began quietly. Nico's heart ached. He hated being in love with his best friend but he wanted Will to be happy. "I'd like to invite him round all the time…"

"I'm sure he'd love that, Will. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Wanna tell me all about him."

"Well," Will began shyly, "he just brought me a house…"


	28. Scarf

Nico was always cold. Cold to touch, shivering, pretending he wasn't absolutely freezing his balls off. Will asked him a grand total of five times in two minutes if he was cold, and Nico said no, he was fine. But the way he pressed closer to Will's warmth and shivered indicated they he was cold. "Nico, you're freezing, are you sure you're warm enough?" 

"Of course I am," Nico replied. Will rolled his eyes. Of course he'd say that. Idiot.

So Will decided to use his breaks in the infirmary to knit Nico a scarf. He used black and rainbow wool, carefully following a cable knit pattern for near the edges and a simple skull pattern for the middle. It was taking him absolutely ages, so of course, he lost focus and found the unfinished project 2 years later. He set about finishing it, which took several weeks, and at this point, he felt bad- this scarf was needed two winters ago, and he could have just brought one, but no, he had to try and be extra and knit it himself. 

Gifting it to Nico, however, made Will feel better. Usually when he'd knitted for somebody, it ended up in the back of their wardrobes, worn only to ugly sweater parties. But Nico? Nico held it like it was made of gold. "How long did this take you, Will," he asked softly, "this is amazing!"

"Without breaks, a good forty hours. With breaks? Two years because procrastination is an ass."

"Holy shit, Will, you made this yourself, spending ages and ages on it, with pretty patterns, as a gift for me? You love me that much that- that I'm worth that effort for you?"

"You are always worth my effort," Will reassured, and Nico softly kissed his cheek.

"Will, this is the best gift that I have ever received… I love you…"

"I love you too, Nico… could I maybe try knit you a sweater? It- it's okay if not, I totally understand! Nobody wants a knitted garment!"

"Oh my gods, you'd make that for me? You- you'd spend that many hours carefully crafting something just… just for me?"

"Of course I would, Nico, I love you."

"Will..." Nico wrapped Will in a warm hug, not yet able to process this. His boyfriend loved him so much that he wanted to take the time and effort to hand craft Nico a jumper just like he'd already crafted Nico a scarf. Gods, he felt lucky.


	29. Scrap book

After receiving a lovingly crafted scarf from Will, Nico wanted to make something special, something that would take time to make, so he set about making a scrap book. He rooted through his box of memories, found the photographs he loved, the ticket stubs and receipts and drawings and love notes. And he lovingly placed them in a scrapbook. Textured paper, pressed flowers, even coins and bottle caps got stuck in there. It took him a long time to complete, and it wasn't the best, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Will would understand the time and effort and meaning behind everything. 

He was nervous to give it to Will, feeling increasingly silly, but he reminded himself that he knew his boyfriend well, and he knew that such a personal gift would be perfect for him. So he wrapped the scrap book because Will loved opening gifts, and he handed it over. Although perhaps he shouldn't have used quite so much sticky tape because Will was struggling to open it. 

When Will finally managed to open the gift, he gasped softly. He opened it like he was opening an old book, with caution. He glowed softly as he looked through the pages, and Nico's cheeks felt a little warm and rosy.

Will hugged Nico tightly, holding him to his chest, and kissed the top of his head. "Nico, it's perfect," he smiled, "this is the best gift anyone's ever given me and I love it!"

"I love you, Will," Nico said softly, "I wanted you to know that you are always worth my effort."

"I love you too, Nico… I'll treasure this forever."


	30. Mythomagic

Will had loved Mythomagic for a long time. So much so, he'd gotten every card and almost all of them he had twice. Some he didn't. So he sourced them- from Frank, from the Stolls, won them in games against kids, found them online- even the obscure and rare expansion packs. 

He didn't keep them though. Ever since Nico had told him that he'd burned his collection, Will had dedicated himself to gifting it back to him. He'd been waiting for the right time to give them to Nico, and now probably wasn't the best time because they were making out in Nico's cabin and Will's knees were going weak and he felt like he was on fire and Nico was super into it, fingers tangled in Will's hair and a hand on the small of Will's back pulling him closer and snaking up his shirt. Gods, Nico was kissing him senseless and all Will could do was pray to the gods that he didn't embarrass himself. Will was glowing uncontrollably, and the shadows were like mist around them and it was the best kiss he'd ever had and he was high on it. Will figured his gift could wait. Kissing his boyfriend like this was the gay agenda and he was succeeding. The sun shined through the window as though Apollo was voicing his pride. Shadows were trying to push Will away like Hades was trying to get rid of him and stop him from defiling his son. The kiss was totally worth it. Will was still shaking and his lips were still tingling and he was twitching from the adrenaline. 

"Anyway," Nico laughed lightly, running a hand through his messy hair, hair that Will had thoroughly enjoyed messing up, "what did you come here for?"

"Uh- what?"

"You uh- you said you had something important or something. You know, before I kinda jumped you and interrupted you with ah… with my tongue down your throat."

"What- oh! Yes! I did! I uh-" Will held out the box full of Mythomagic paraphernalia, and Nico looked at him curiously. "Do I get another kiss if you like what's in the box-"

"Shut up, Solace." Nico flamed puce, and Will grinned. Nico opened the box slowly, then stared in disbelief. "No way!"

"So do I get another kiss-" Nico lunged forwards, and Will glowed in anticipation of the best kiss of his life-

"DO YOU KNOW HOW RARE THE GOLDEN HESSIAN CARD IS, WILL? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GAMES OF STREET FIGHTER I HAD TO WIN TO GET ENOUGH TICKETS TO BUY THIS CARD IN THE LOTUS? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SWEETS I HAD TO ILLEGALLY SELL IN SCHOOL TO GET THE PURPLE DIONYSUS STATUE?!" Will did not in fact get kissed senseless, although he did have a rather horrible earache and a bad headache by morning, courtesy of Nico yelling down his ear.


	31. Skull

Will was used to Nico smelling like a morgue. He was used to seeing him covered in blood. He was used to him going cold like a corpse. He was used to Nico toasting his marshmallows on a broken human femur. He was even used to Nico crunching his way through the bones of whatever meat he ate. 

Will, however, screamed when he found a skull covered in dirt in his bed. A human skull. With some skin still attached. An actual human skull. Will was horrified. He was disgusted. He- was gonna throw up! And of course that's when Nico walked in. "Will? Are you okay?" Nico immediately started to rub Will's back, holding his hair back. 

"Just- uh- just a bug," Will replied, moving away to sit down on the floor. Nico sat beside him. 

"You just puked on the floor."

"I know, Nico."

"You're glowing."

"I know, Nico."

"There's a skull in your bed."

"I know, Nico!" Nico flinched a little, and Will felt bad. Nico looked crushed.

"I- I'm sorry, I'm creepy, I didn't mean to- I just- I wanted to share- I mean- it means something to me and- I thought you'd understand and I- I'm sorry… I- I'm a really creepy and weird guy and I'm really sorry…" 

Oh. Oh… Nico hadn't been trying to scare Will, he was trying to give him a gift. He briefly thought Nico reminded him of a cat gifting you a dead mouse in your slipper. Of course the skull meant something to Nico. Nico loved bones. He was into vulture culture, he had amassed quite the collection of bones by now. He was currently wearing his crow skull necklace. No wonder Nico looked so crushed… he was trying to share a special interest of his, and Will had vomited in response. 

He looked back to the skull. It didn't feel so creepy now he understood… he was kind of endeared… "I'm sorry, Nico…"

"I- I know you probably hate me right now, and think I'm creepy, and I'm really really sorry!"

Will sighed, pulling Nico into an apologetic hug. "It just… surprised me, that's all…"

"I- I'll take him back! That- that'll make things better, right? You- you won't hate my anymore?"

"No! I- I just wasn't expecting him, that's all! I promise I don't hate you, I just didn't understand, but- I understand now! It's… it's special to you, and you're trying to share that with me. If it's special to you, it's special to me too, and I love it."


	32. Kiss, Camp Necklace, Armour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 fics in one

Kiss

New Year's eve was finally upon them. The mistletoe was still decorating the dining pavilion, the stolls and the hecate cabin were working hard to make the most awkward kisses possible happen. Nico hoped he didn't get caught under it. They'd probably make him kiss a guy, and knowing Nico's bad luck, it would be Jason or Percy, or worse, his crush, Will. 

He was so focused on his resentment that he didn't notice the mistletoe above Will's head when he approached him. He didn't notice Will getting redder and redder and flushed. He didn't notice the crowd. Until he did. And he looked at Will. And he looked up. He was terrified. He was gay, about to kiss his straight crush, who would hate him, then camp would hate him. He'd been meaning to come out, but not like this. Then again, he wouldn't have to explain that he was gay. But he was also a very shy gay who was convinced that he would die of embarrassment and rejection if he kissed his crush. 

He cast his head down. He wanted to kiss Will, of course he did, he'd thought about it. But he didn't want to kiss Will because Will wouldn't consent to a kiss with Nico. Nico felt humiliated. He was sure that he was being too suspicious-

Will's hand was tilting Nico's chin up and Nico was on fire. He probably looked like he was waiting to be stabbed. To make matters worse, the countdown to new years had begun. Will was leaning closer. Why was he leaning closer? He was straight. He'd dated a girl. Why would he be leaning close to a boy? "Can I- uh- can I kiss you?"

"Um."

"I uh- I'd like to kiss you. If- if you'd like? If you swing that way? I mean uh- it's cool if you don't, but uh- would you- would you like a kiss?"

NO! Nico's logic and anxiety yelled.

YES! Yelled his heart. 

Will was cupping his cheek, and his palm was so so warm and Nico's knees so weak. Nico gave the smallest of nods, tilting his head slightly, and Will brushed their lips together. Fuck, it was electric, and Nico twitched and whimpered. His eyes closed, eyebrows knitting together. Fuck. Nico was in Elysium. It ended too soon, and Nico chased his lips, whimpering softly. He dared to open his eyes, terrified that Will would realise that Nico was into kissing dudes, that he was gay, that the kiss did things for him. 

Will met his gaze and leaned in again. Surely not? Surely he wasn't-

Warm lips were on Nico's, a hand nervously resting on his waist, and Will was- was he into this too? Nico indulged and kissed back, waiting for Will to say it was gross, that he was dared to, but Will matched Nico's pace and fuck, Nico was dying like this. Nico couldn't believe his luck. He nervously placed a hand on Will's waist, bringing the other up to tangle in his hair. Gods, his curls were so soft, and Nico was doing it, he was kissing and boy. He was making out with a boy at a party in front of everybody and it felt pretty fucking great. What a start to the new year, snogging the face off a man, a man that he fancied. 

Camp necklace 

Nico was blushing hard as Will clasped the necklace closed at the back of Nico's neck. Will's hands tickled a little, and then he felt a soft kiss on the back of his neck. He shivered and sighed, toes curling at the rush of adrenaline until Will's lips pulled away, and Nico let his hair fall back down. "Nico, have I just found a sensitive spot?"

"What? No." Another kiss to the back of his neck, and gods, Nico was melting and gasping. "Solace-" Nico bit his lip, cutting himself off. It felt like Will was trying to leave a hickey, mouthing at his sensitive spot.

"Does that feel good?" Will asked.

No, Nico meant to say. "Mhmmmm," Nico said instead, and Will continued his assault on Nico's neck. Gods, Nico was jelly. 

"You like that?"

"Will…" Will playfully licked the spot, so Nico pulled away. "Too far," Nico said awkwardly, suddenly very interested in the floor.

"Oh… sorry… didn't you like it?"

"I- uh-" There was no non-awkward answer to this. He couldn't lie and say that he didn't like it, because he definitely did. He just felt as though the intense feelings it gave him could lead to feelings he wasn't ready to explore yet, especially not being so young, too young. He felt like this was the right place to set a boundary. "Too much too soon."

"O- oh. Right. I uh… anyway! How'd you like your camp necklace!"

"It's perfect, Will," Nico replied. "I uh- thanks, Solace."

Armour 

(Trans Will headcanon)

Will refused to put a shirt on. Ever. Now his top surgery scars had healed, there was no getting a shirt on him at all. Nico was convinced that he'd freeze his nipples off. Nico hoped he'd wear his gift. Will had always volunteered to be medic for capture the flag, because actually participating would mean he'd have to take his binder on, and his armour would have to accommodate for his chest. The time Chiron had made Will participate, it had ended in tears. It wasn't because Will didn't want to participate, because he really did. He hated always being on the sidelines. Nico hoped his gift would allow Will to finally feel comfortable participating. The new breastplate was nice and flat and crafted from imperial gold. 

Will was sitting in the infirmary when Nico found him, topless of course. "Will, you got a minute? Or a shirt maybe?"

"I'm never wearing a shirt again."

"Will. Will it's winter and I'm pretty sure it's unhygienic to be getting your armpit sweat all over hospital equipment."

"But Nico. Nico you don't understand. I have spent years of summers swearing in layers whilst all the guys around me could just whip off their shirts and not get arrested for it. The nipples are free now, and the chest is flat, so the nipples are never going back in!"

"Okay, okay, point taken," Nico conceded. Will ran his hand over his chest, smiling and the glowing. "But I think you might reconsider when you see what I made you."

"Okay…?" Nico reached into the shadows, pulling out the armour. Will glowed brightly, grinning from ear to ear. 

"Wanna come and play capture the flag?"

"I'm gonna kick your scrawny little ass, di Angelo."

"Bet," Nico grinned, disappearing into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I did 34 fics instead welp enjoy


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